As they walked off the field after a rough day of training camp, veteran linebacker Cato June approached a long-faced Zac Diles.

“Keep your head up, man. Don't get too discouraged,” June told Diles. “I know what you're feeling right now, and there's going to be some pain. But you just have to fight through it and show everybody what you can do.”

The words seemed to encourage Diles, a 2007 seventh-round draft pick out of Kansas State. Diles, an Abilene native, had a tough break last season.

Campaign cut in half

At last year's training camp, he fought to prove himself as a versatile linebacker who could play wherever there was a spot open. He earned the strongside linebacker job and, as the starter, led the team in tackles for the first half of the season.

But after Week 8, in a special-teams practice, Diles suffered a broken leg while running down the field. The freak injury sidelined him for the rest of the season, but Diles managed to finish second on the team with 66 total tackles.

“It was tough,” said Diles (6-2, 237 pounds). “I felt like I was having a pretty good year except for a few plays here and there. It was unfortunate, but it's something you have to deal with and come back and get stronger.”

To make matters worse for the recovering Diles, the Texans used their first-round draft pick on Brian Cushing, a talented strongside linebacker from Southern Cal.

“That was my position, and when your team drafts a guy in the first round, you know what time it is,” Diles said. “They let me know pretty quick that they wanted me in the weakside spot, and I was fine with that and ready to work for it.”

Never discouraged, Diles immediately began preparing himself for changing positions. Knowing he would have to be faster in the weakside slot, Diles lost 5 pounds and improved his athleticism.

This training camp, Diles, 24, has regained his reputation as an excellent tackler. Defensive coordinator Frank Bush said Diles has made a strong recovery, and he is competing with Xavier Adibi for the starting weakside linebacker job.

“Zac came back kind of out of it physically and mentally because of that injury,” Bush said. “But he's fighting — he's a thumper. He can run, he can hit, and that's what we like about him.”

Bush said Diles has made the changes necessary in order to compete with Adibi for the weakside job.

“We're looking for a guy that's fast, who can cover backs, as well as looking at his blitzing abilities,” Bush said. “But most of all, we're looking for a playmaker, a guy that will scrape and run to the football and, when he gets there, arrive with an attitude and try to create fumbles.”

Competing with a friend

Diles said he's close friends with Adibi, but the competition has encouraged him to work hard every day. There's no chip on Diles' shoulder.

“When we first put the pads on, Zac showed up big,” Bush said. “It's a different position than strongside, but he's getting there. We like the competition between him and Adibi, and it's making us better.

“We're giving them both ample opportunities. Right now the competition is stiff, so we'll just have to wait and see.”